The Portland daily press., 1887-02-10
HORSES IN JAPAN.
The Largest Breeding Farm in the
World.
San Francisco Chronicle.

oopoiif nAhh hSoAAa fpsoON,oVV PCbPlts lido
only $4,000 head of cattle and 1900, GOO horses
and Is without mules, swine or sheep. We
have two head of horned cattle to every three
persons. The japanese have 800 persons to
Sash hsed of eeNine stock, we-hase one
herse or mule to every four persons they
have only one horse to every thrty-three per-
sons. Of sheep they have no knowledge, as
they wear no woolen clothes and eat no NUT
ton. Swine meat is as much an abomination
to them as it is to the BrRhmins The EN-
peror rode on q Wheeled carriage and that
mode OF conveyance was made sacred to his
use, while other people must ride in other
fashion or walk. The nobility monopolizes
sedan chairs and horseback riding, and TO the
common people was left the privilege of walk
ing. The farmers and packers on their re-
turn from markets would, however, mount
their horses, but upon the appearance of one
Of the men-at-arms they wonld tumble off in
all possible haste, so as to meet their super
iors in their proper places; that is. ON foot
Horses thus berame arlStocratic animals
and were held in high esteem
There are large breeding establishments in
many parts OF the world, but it is doubtful if
there is now, or ever was, a breeding estab-
lishment in any other country that could e.
qual the great horse pasture of Simosa, In
Japan. Nearly a thousand years ago the
main lslandlof the Japanese Empire was a.
bout equally divided between the conquering
race and the aborigines. The conduerors
held the southern half and the aborigines the
northern half. One of the reigning Tycoons
determined upon the conquest of the aborig-
ines, and he sent large and well equipped
army across the Hakoni range into the abor-
lginal territory. After long war, in which
there were many bloody battles, the aborigi-
mes were driven north The territory con
| quered comprises all the country around To-
klo, the capital, and several provinces still
north OF that, within the boundaries of this
conquest, were what are now called the
"Plains of Shimosa." These plains were
found to be admirably adapted to grazing
They are about forty miles east of TOXIC
between the head of the bay of Yeddo and
the ocean, and are three hundred ar four
hunrded feet above the sea level. They are
in fact peninsular table lands. From these
| plains a considerable number of small
streams have their sources. The larger part
Of Of this surface is covered with grasses, in
| dlgenous to that country, among which are
several kinds Of clovers, bunch grasses and a
| feScue grass. AT intervals there are groves
Of pines, oaks, beech and maple trees.
IL was determined to establish there pas
| ture, where the best cavalry horses could be
bred and in such numbers that their whole
| cavalry could be supplied with fresh mounts
at any time. Ordinary inclosures and even
subdivision fences, could have been built
with little labor and cost, but ordinary fem
|
The Japanese population was then three
hundred or four hundred miles south of that
| point. Two hundred miles north were the
defeated but still unconquered aborigines,
ready to pounce down upon the invaders
whenever favorable opportunity presented.
Under these circumstances fortified fence
| was demanded. To thus incl0se a peninsula
| nifty miles by seventy mills was gigantic
work, but when an absolute authority, with
millions OF submissive people ready to obey
| that authority, determined to do a work the
amount OF labor involved does not stand in
the way of its accomplishment. An imperial
decree was issued, ordering each feudal
Prince in the Empire to send a certain num-
make permanent settlements there. All the
/ lands bordering the streams, susceptible of
| irrigation, were allotted to the laborers for
MONIES. from every province laborers, with
/ their families, poured in, and in a short time
$50 villages were built along the line of the
| proposed Enclosure. Crops for the food of
| these workers were planted, and the work on
the fortified fences began with impressive
ceremonies, beftting the importance OF this
| project
The outer inclosure was solid earth en-
| bankment, sixteen feet high. 1t was built to
conform to the borders OF the table land which
on the bay and ocean sides were very irreg-
ular., These Irregularities increased the
| length Of the embankment, and, as the land
along the stream allotted to the settlers
could not be included in the pasture. this
great snbankment had to be run up one side
| of the stream nearly to its source and then
back again down the other side. AS there
| were many of these streams the amount OF
| embankment was enormously increased
| In book published by the Government
many years ago the length of this outer fort
lied fence or embankment is stated to be
dence on this table land riding every day
| through various portions of this old horse
pasture, believe this statement is within the
bounds of truth. After this outer embauk-
mSht was hnished IT was sown with a grass
called Hea," which becomes more deeply
rooted in the soil than any other known grass.
In that case the roots ran through the
whole of the masses of earth. and have thus
held them together so firmly that the EN-
bankments have not perceptibly washed or
weathered through all the centuries which
have interviewed since their construction.
On the top of this embankment row of
trees was planted. This inclosure formed a
very strong defence, and even if an enemy
| had stormed and taken 1t, it would have been
impossible to get the horses out. except at the
| gates which were still more strongly fortified,
and a detachment of mounted troops was sta
toned at each one. At convenient points
| corrals were built, and these were made
double strong. They were made by throwing
| up embankments twenty-five and even thirty
| feet high
In case the aborigines had succeeded in get
| ting inside the outer embankment, the horses
| 0OAS w nave Dctu run lulO I1tSb lDlIn6ISe
| corrals and defended there. The aborigin S
never succeeded in getting into the pasture,
and If they had the corrals would not have
| been needed. for in few years these horses
became SO wild that the whole Sioux tribe of
Indians could not have caught them. The
work OF building the outer embankment oc-
| cupied many years, and the construction of
| the corrals many more. Then all this great
| plain or tableland was sub divided into email
| er pastures containing from eight hundred to
| two thousand acres each The subdivision
| embankments were made twelve feet high,
| and the authority above quoted places the
| total length of these at two thousand five
| hundred niles This work was all done by
manual labor the earth being dug up by mat
| tocks, put in rope sacks and then carried to
| the embankment on the backs of men. The
best equine stock of the Empire was bought
and brought to these pastures. ambassadors
| were sent to COrea, Manchuria and China
| and the blooded stations were bought for the
| Improvement of the native blood By the
| natural increase in q century or two there
| was an immense number of horses in this
| imperial pasture. The official authority al
| ready quoted puts this number at more than
one hundred thousand. The laborers used
in the construction of the embankment set
tied permanently on the lands that were ex-
| cluded from the inclosure, and the villages
| founded by them are still there. By these
means the rulers not only had thoroughly
| fortified pasture, but they occupied, settled
and developed the country conquered from
| the enemy.